In about one week from now the winners of the 2011 Tony Awards will be announced. They will be very colorful again this year. Nomination numbers again are in the double digits.
The Book of Mormon is in the lead with 14 nominations. This highly energetic and uplifting musical which is sold out until months from now is closely followed by The Scottsboro Boys, which was only on Broadway for about five months and is theme wise totally on the opposite side with the leader, got nominated for 12 awards. It’s clear that the quality of a play has the impact to earn nominations and is not linked to its length. Just like the Motherf**er with the Hat, (with Chris Rock) that was performing for fifteen weeks, is nominated for six awards as well.
Anything Goes is nominated for nine awards, which includes the award for best revival, followed by How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying with Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe that has eight nominations. Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice with leading actor Al Pacino, who is nominated for best performance, has seven nominations in all.
Many Broadway plays and musicals hosted leading actors like these but did not get any nominations at all, like Robin Williams in The Bengal Tiger or Kiefer Sutherland in That Championship Season. Sister Act, with Whoopie Goldberg’s signature is shaking Broadway as well, is up for five nominations and the same for Warhorse, the story of a horse during World War I, which is playing at the Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center.
Not to forget Ben Stiller and Edie Falco in the House of Blue Leaves and Oscar Wilde’s comedy the Importance of Being Earnest with Brian Bedford. The list goes on but ultimately, the results will be announced at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on Sunday, June 16th.
